Life lessons
Chapter 15: Successful people make time for themselves
“Successful people never stop to wonder if
what we’re doing really matters most.” – Stephen Covey
The difference between successful people
and unsuccessful people’s time use
More than 200 years ago,
Benjamin Franklin once wrote:
“Time is the opportunity for each person to realize his plans and dreams.
It’s up to each person whether to seize those opportunities or not.”
Many books have been written on the subject,
among them I really like the ideas of Stephen Covey in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
because he always emphasizes the effective use of time.
He said “…we are always busy,
we get busier when we want to get the job done in the ‘best’ way,
and we never stop even to wonder if what we’re doing is working.
Is it really the most important thing?”
Time is like a resource,
but unlike other resources,
we cannot get back lost time,
nor can we add,
remove,
store,
or turn it on or off,
replacing it.
If we do not know how to use time effectively,
every hour and minute that passes will become wasted.
There are some obvious differences in how successful people
and unsuccessful people perceive their time,
such as:
Loser | Successful people |
Let the time pass in vain. | Appreciate the time you have. |
Just wasting time, no plan. | Know how to organize your time properly. |
Can’t find time for myself. | Make time for yourself. |
I am not saying that anyone who has ever wasted time is a failure.
We all waste time from time to time.
Of course,
I don’t mean that having fun or relaxing is a waste of time
– because that’s the key to balance in life.
It’s just that we shouldn’t waste so much time that
it’s wasted and missed opportunities to feel life as it is.
We have enough time to do the necessary work
Not long ago,
Gallup Institute released the results of a poll,
80% of respondents in the United States feel that
time passes too quickly and
they feel they do not have enough time to do what they want.
Those people were wrong on two fundamental points.
First of all,
time does not go faster than when the first watch was made.
Today, an hour still has 60 minutes,
a minute still has 60 seconds.
Nothing changed.
Second, there’s a simple reason people don’t get everything done,
because they want too many things at once.
We know that we should prioritize the things we want.
Anyone who thinks that they will have it all
and do everything will never have enough time.
Four ways to master time
1. Plan Your Day
Contractors always have construction blueprints,
executives always draw up business plans,
coaches always have tactical diagrams,
teachers have lesson plans…
so why don’t we have one?
your plan for a day?
It is not something too hard,
nor does it take much time,
but it will bring you productivity and efficiency.
Mark the things you’ve completed for the day.
The accomplishment of a goal gives you the greatest feeling,
your reward.
It also shows your progress.
2. Schedule A Date With Yourself
Let’s say you have a job that takes about 2 hours to do
and needs to be completed by next Thursday.
Most people say to themselves,
“I’m determined to get it done by next week.”
Notice the difference in saying something like this:
“I will do it on Tuesday between 4 and 6 pm.”
Remember that our minds are always focused on the concrete.
If you say to one of your friends,
“I’ll see you soon,”
it will be harder to see each other again than
if you made an appointment at a specific date and time.
If you have something that needs to be done right away,
but you tend to put it off until the last minute,
there’s a simple solution to this:
Make an appointment with yourself.
Before you do anything else,
make it clear that you are determined to get the job done.
Then you need to decide when you will do it,
and commit yourself to a specific timetable.
It’s as simple as that,
but it can have many benefits for you:
develop discipline,
aid in goal setting,
help overcome procrastination,
and guide you to a more productive use of your time.
3. Use The One Time One Time Method
One of the most effective methods of getting important things done is
to do a little bit at a time.
Instead of waiting until you feel inspired
or have enough time to do so,
set aside some special time in your daily schedule.
This special time is best fixed at the same time every day.
The key is to maintain
continuously,
regularly.
Make it a habit.
Take writing a book as an example.
It seems to be too complicated a job if looked at as a whole.
But if you write just one page a day,
even excluding Saturday and Sunday,
you can finish a 260-page book by the end of the year.
This method can also be compared to building a brick house.
Each brick was so small,
and one brick at a time seemed horribly slow.
But when each one is placed steadily on top of another,
something much greater is formed than piles of unbuilt material.
You can use brief moments of time in the same way.
Success is the result of hard work done a little bit every day.
4. Know When You Are Most Efficient
Everyone has their own “biological clock”.
At some point,
one person is the most productive,
while another,
on the other hand,
is the least productive.
Some are most productive in the morning,
others are productive at night.
Some people run out of energy in the mid-afternoon,
while many others have just recharged.
So it’s important to be aware of your circadian hours
– when you can be at your best.
If possible, schedule your most important things during these hours.
That is the optimal use of time.
Time is your most precious asset – don’t procrastinate
Having talked about time must have mentioned procrastination.
Most people consider that to be the biggest obstacle.
But I don’t think procrastination is always a bad thing.
Everyone does that to some extent.
Some people are even more effective
when they get things done under pressure at deadlines
and can’t be delayed any longer
– at the last minute.
But those are only the exceptions.
Most people feel both inefficient,
guilty, and unsatisfied with themselves when they procrastinate.
But if you acquire the skills to use your time effectively,
you will realize that time is your life
and you will find many ways to make use of it.
Success depends on how you use your time.
Successful people don’t look for time,
they make time.
“Make the most of your time, no matter how difficult life is.”Ephesians 5:16